


that which gives light

by convallaria_majalis



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: (mostly comfort), Aftermath of Starvation, Aftermath of Torture, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Luminara Is The Best, Somebody Please Help Obi Wan, kenduli if you squint but can also be read as close friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-15 01:03:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10547382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/convallaria_majalis/pseuds/convallaria_majalis
Summary: Luminara and her clone troopers find Obi-Wan on Rattatak and bring him home.





	

**Author's Note:**

> OK, so I have only tangential knowledge of how this went down in the comic, so this fic probably directly contradicts canon in some way or another. But I don't care. I hope it is enjoyable anyway. :*

Deep below the mud, with only the green glow of her lightsaber to guide her, a hair-thin thread of the Force tugged Luminara onwards, and she followed it. 

She knew what she was looking for, but her hope of finding it was diminishing. Seven levels below ground, and not a bare sign of life - except for this thread. Was it her imagination, or was it getting stronger? She didn't quite trust her senses. There had been not a shred of light since the third level, and the darkness was starting to play havoc with her perception.

At last the thread wavered in the long hallway, turned sharply, and slipped through a crack in an old rusted door. Luminara didn't sense any danger, but she edged it open with her foot anyway before stepping inside. 

The darkness was somehow even blacker here, more velvety. She raised her lightsaber to get a better view. 

The figure in the tiny cell was motionless, hanging limp from chained wrists. He was a man, but more than that Luminara could not say for certain. What had once been clothes now hung off of him in tatters, and what's more, she could tell he was much too thin. His knees grazed the stone floor, the chains too short to let him kneel; he had stood, she guessed, until his legs gave out. 

Luminara cleared her throat. "Excuse me," she said. 

The man raised his head, hollow eyes looking at her through two holes in a dark and oily mask. He blinked.

"Oh, hello," said Obi-Wan Kenobi, his voice raspy around the edges. "Master Unduli. What a pleasant surprise."

"Obi-Wan!" Luminara stepped towards him, baffled. If he was here, then why hadn't she felt him in the Force? Why couldn't she now? "We all thought you were dead. Can you stand?"

"So did I," Obi-Wan murmured. "Hmm, I think so."

Luminara reached out with the Force and helped her friend to his feet. When she knew he wouldn't fall, she flicked her lightsaber twice to sever the chains, and Obi-Wan's hands dropped to his sides. 

"Ohhh, that feels good." He rolled his shoulders and moved to rub the feeling back into his hands. "The hood, if you please?"

"Let me see it," Luminara replied. 

He bent his head towards her. The dark leather surrounded his skull, fitting close enough that she could see where hunger had hollowed his cheeks. She touched the edge of it and flinched - the thing _writhed_ with seeking, clutching dark energy. Revulsion and horror rose in Luminara's chest, but she clamped a lid on them, focusing instead on breaking the lock and undoing the laces at the back of Obi-Wan's neck. Their fingers scrabbled together, until finally the hood peeled off him and landed in the dirt, and Luminara nearly stumbled back as the bright flame of the Force that was _Obi-Wan_ flared back into the room. 

"That's why we couldn't find you," she whispered. 

Obi-Wan drew in a deep breath, held it for a moment, then let it out. Luminara could feel the roiling turbulence of his Force presence instantly become smooth and calm. 

He held out a hand and smiled. "Let's get out of here, shall we?"

Luminara took it, sending him a few warm pulses of Force-strength through her palm. "Great idea. This way."

"Did you find Alpha?" Obi-Wan asked, as they flew back down the hallway. 

Luminara nodded. "My men are taking care of him. If not for him, I'm not sure I would have been able to find you in this maze."

"And how is Anakin?"

"Not too bad, considering," Luminara said. She slashed a door open to let them pass. "Though he _has_ been tearing Jabiim up looking for you."

Obi-Wan somehow managed to sigh, though he was breathing hard from their sprint. "He just doesn't _listen_ ," he groused. 

Luminara smiled to herself. That was Obi-Wan-speak for _Thank the Force he's all right and hasn't done anything disastrous._

They darted up several flights of stairs and into a narrow corridor, still guided only by the glow of Luminara's blade. She could feel Obi-Wan flagging, but true to form, the other Jedi made no complaint.

"Almost there," Luminara told him.

The corridor opened up into a larger hallway, with lamplight and noise at one end. Five of Luminara's troopers were there, and Alpha; even at a distance, she could see his eyes light up at the sight of his general.

"Hmmm," Obi-Wan said, and then stumbled and sagged against her. She caught him just in time, stowing her lightsaber so she could throw his arm across her shoulders and grab his waist. 

"Got you," she said pleasantly, covering her shock as well as she could manage. Obi-Wan was feather-light. _He's been starved,_ she thought. _Barriss could lift him with one hand._

"'M fine," Obi-Wan mumbled in protest, but Luminara just grunted and half-carried him to where the troopers were, sitting him down against the wall. 

"Stay there," she ordered. "Dagger, some water for General Kenobi, please."

"Right here," the medic said, handing her a thermos. The single sharp tattoo on his forehead was creased with worry, and she could see why: Alpha was in much the same state as Obi-Wan, though Dagger was doing what he could with bacta and an IV. 

Luminara thanked him and knelt next to Obi-Wan. "Here," she said, placing the thermos and a bland-but-functional nutrition bar in his hand. "First things first. I don't want you to faint on me again."

For a second it looked as if he was going to make one of his sardonic remarks, but Luminara raised an eyebrow, and he drank. 

"Good to see you, General," Alpha said, from his place against the opposite wall.

"And you, Alpha," Obi-Wan replied, between bites of nutrition bar. "All in one piece, I trust?"

The clone grinned. "Mostly."

Luminara looked between them. Both men had lost a lot of muscle; they were covered in cuts and bruises, some scabbed over, some still fresh. Alpha's chest was shiny with bacta, laid over what looked like shallow lightsaber burns. Obi-Wan bore a web of red lines scored into his skin, but what Luminara noted most was the heavy ring of bruises around his throat. She held back a shudder.

Obi-Wan looked over and caught her eye. "Nara."

"Yes?"

He indicated the hallway behind her with a nod of his head. "Ventress."

Acting without thought, Luminara stood and turned, placing herself firmly between her friends and the shadowy cloaked figure. She'd heard of this woman: Dooku's pet assassin. Known for acrobatics, twin lightsabers, and extreme cruelty.

Ventress drew back her hood, and the Jedi Master met her cold gaze.

"Oh, isn't this cute," she said, upper lip curled in a sneer. "A rescue party. Too bad you won't get far."

"You've had your fun, Ventress," Luminara said steadily. "We're leaving now."

Ventress chuckled, igniting her lightsabers. "Go on, try it."

Behind them, Luminara could hear the steady _tramp-tramp_ of metal feet on stone. _Blast it._ She would rather not have to deal with this, but it couldn't be helped. "Get ready to move," she told her troopers, and her lightsaber flared as Ventress lunged.

Luminara met the twin blades in an overhead block, the move bringing them nearly face to face. She drew even closer, then stamped hard on Ventress' foot - reached out with her free hand - and came away with Obi-Wan's lightsaber. The Sith hissed. 

Luminara crossed Obi-Wan's blade and her own, lighting the hallway up with blue and green fire. Ventress laughed, looking beyond her to Obi-Wan. 

"Kenobi," she drawled. "Why not face me yourself?"

Luminara didn't have to look to know that Obi-Wan was doing that thing with his eyebrow. 

"Oh, now you want a fair fight?" he replied. "I was more than willing to give you one before."

Ventress' eyes narrowed and she stretched out a hand. "No. I don't."

Luminara had the unpleasant sensation of being lifted by the neck, her feet slowly leaving the ground. Panic sparked in her as Ventress' grip tightened, but she didn't tamp it down. She let the Sith apprentice feel it, let her _enjoy_ it, before twisting her head around. 

"Go!" Luminara choked out, throwing Obi-Wan his lightsaber. "All of you. I'll be right behind you."

She turned her face back to Ventress, who was grinning. 

"One Jedi pet is as good as another," she said. "I'm sure you'll be just as much fun as Kenobi, in your own way."

 _You won't get to find out_ , Luminara thought. She waited until the others' steps had disappeared down the hall, then sent a wave of Force power into the weak point in the ceiling. 

Surprise and falling permacrete broke Ventress' hold, and Luminara scrambled back, racing up another set of stairs. She could feel the old building crumbling behind her, radiating outward from the spot she'd nudged. 

_The boys probably aren't going to like this,_ she mused.

When Luminara caught up with them, it was just as she expected: the clones, led by Obi-wan, making slow but sure headway against an endless column of battle droids. 

"Hate to break it to you, but we don't have time for this," Luminara shouted over the blasterfire. "I may have, well, exploited a weakness in the building structure to slow Ventress down."

"Is that why it sounds like a stampede of Orray back there?" Obi-Wan shot back.

" _Maybe._ Look, if we can just get to that set of stairs--" Just then, the wall next to them shuddered and fell away, revealing a sinkhole so large and deep it could have held a small city.

"That's... not good," Obi-Wan said.

"Uh, General, you may have overdone it," Gree added. "Sir."

Luminara sighed. "Thank you, Commander." The droids were clustered around the group now, ready to force them off the ledge. "Jetpacks?" she asked.

"You're in luck," Gree replied. "Strick remembered to pack 'em."

Luminara looked at Obi-Wan. "Let's go."

\------------------------

As the ship screamed out of the Rattatak atmosphere, Luminara touched her comlink for a quick check-in with the Council. 

"Master Unduli." It was Depa who had picked up. "Good news?"

"I'm on my way back to Coruscant," Luminara answered. "Master Kenobi and his trooper are with me. They're in stable condition, but please have a medical shuttle waiting for us."

Depa nodded. "Excellent." She looked around and then dropped her voice. "And thank the Force, because babysitting Skywalker has been a nightmare."

"Heard that, I did," said a faint, gravelly voice, and Luminara couldn't help but smile. 

Master Billaba sighed. "Sorry, Master. Anyway, what of Asajj Ventress?"

"I'm not certain. If she escaped, I don't think she'll return to Rattatak, considering that there's a very large sinkhole where her base used to be."

Depa cocked her head. "Lumi, what did you do?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Luminara said, with perfect innocence. "Anyway, you can read all about it in my report. See you soon."

She clicked the comlink off and rose, looking over Gree's shoulder. Rattatak was actually beautiful from this far up, with its sun just beginning to come into view over the hazy curve of the planet's edge. 

"Just about ready for hyperspace, General," he said. 

"Very good. I'm going to go check on our patients."

In the crew areas of the ship, two cabins had been set up as a tiny medbay. She poked her head in on Alpha first, and smiled to see him talking and laughing with two of his brothers. Next door, the ship's medical droid was just finishing up with Obi-Wan, taping down the IV needle in his arm. 

"The patient is expected to make a full recovery," the droid said in its tinny voice, and wheeled out of the room. 

"I am very glad to hear it," Luminara replied, sitting down next to Obi-Wan on the bunk. He had changed his tattered robes for a clean pair of clone blacks, plus a blanket draped over his shoulders, and he smiled tiredly at her. 

"I feel much better already," he admitted, "although a _full_ recovery will likely take some time."

"It should not have taken so long to find you," Luminara said quietly, glancing at the IV bag and its trickle of fluids and nutrients. "I am sorry for that."

He nodded. "It is what it is. In any case, it's good to be back."

"The Temple will be glad to see you. Especially that loose-cannon padawan of yours."

Obi-Wan huffed out a laugh. There was silence for a moment or two. 

"Nara?"

"Yes?"

Obi-Wan hesitated. "I would not make this request under ordinary circumstances," he began. 

"What is it?" Luminara frowned. It was unlike Master Kenobi to be oblique. 

"Perhaps it is not the same for Mirialans," he said slowly. "But for humans, after an... ordeal such as this--" He looked down. "Physical contact, from someone the affected person trusts, can do a great deal to ease anxiety and restore mental health. If you are not averse, I would--"

"Obi-Wan." Luminara suppressed a smile. "Are you asking me to hug you?"

"...Well, yes."

She scooted closer to him. "I think I can manage that," she said, and carefully placed an arm around his shoulders. 

Immediately Obi-Wan relaxed into her touch, his breathing going smooth and even. Luminara covered one of his hands with her own.

"Thank you," he murmured, eyes closed.

"Of course." 

Luminara let a few minutes pass before speaking again. "Three hours until we get back to Coruscant," she said quietly. "I don't have anywhere to be."

Obi-Wan smiled and gently squeezed her hand.

**Author's Note:**

> Luminara Unduli: 60% stone cold badass, 30% Mom Friend, 10% deadpan humor. I so wish we'd seen more of her being a total boss in the show. This fic was born partly of that desire, and partly of looking at Obi-Wan and going "god that man needs help" (as I so often do.)
> 
> I feel bad for making Ventress such a truly Evil Villain in this, but it was the role I needed. I'm sorry Asajj! I still love you and your redemption arc!


End file.
